MINUTES
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly
November 4, 2013
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Bache Auditorium, Malott Hall

I. Welcome and Introductions

M. Dumas called the meeting to order at 5:35 pm.

Voting members present: D. Bunck, M. Chen, G. Danies Turano, J. De Castro, M. Carignano, M. Dumas, E. Newbury, A. Moore, C. Morris, A. Powell, T. Sorg, A. M’nebhi, C Yao

Voting members absent: E. Murnane, A. Bybee-Finley

II. Approval of the Minutes

1. October 21, 2013, (1 minute)

There was a motion to correct the name of the society in the second to last paragraph under open forum to Society for Asian-American Graduate Affairs. The third to last paragraph was corrected to say Graduate and Professional Women’s Network.

The minutes were approved as corrected.

III. Reports of Officers and Committee Updates, 10 min.

1. Executive Committee (M. Dumas) (2 minutes)

M. Dumas updated the GPSA that she met with the Student Services last week and they have launched the Ask Ezra page. It is a new way to find answers. The office is looking for feedback from graduates and undergraduates. She is hopeful that Student Services will come to a GPSA meeting sometime soon.

She shared information about workshops being organized by Transitions and Perspectives. Transitions will be hosting a workshop called How to Combat Stress and Perspectives will host Positive Productivity, Part 2.

C. Yao will send out information about each committee positions to field representatives so they can be sent out to their fields. Anyone interested can contact and she hopes to fill up the committees by the end of the year since they are important.

2. Appropriations (W. Kreuser) (2 minutes)

No updates.

3. Communications (A. Staiti & G. Choe) (2 minutes)

A. Staiti shared that D. Westgren had to step down. They want to get graduate students more involved. She asked everyone to keep an eye out for #cugpsa especially during President Skorton’s presentation.

4. Finance Commission (D. Kuhlmann) (2 minutes)

No updates.

5. Graduate & Professional Student Programming Board (K. Bybee Finley) (2 minutes)

G. Danies Turano shared that the Zombie Lurch last week went well and it made the Cornell page.

She shared that on November 9th, Cornell Outdoor Education will be organizing an event to guide graduate students through climbing. Anyone interested can contact cugpspb. On November 14th there will be an Interschool Mixer and the Board has not decided which departments will be included in this mixer. If any department is interested, they can again contact the Programming Board. On November 15th the board will organize a graduates night out.

6. Student Advocacy (F. Doerflinger) (2 minutes)

No updates.

7. Faculty Awards (A. Powell) (2 minutes)

No updates.

8. Diversity & International Students (C. Carter) (2 minutes)

The committee met last Monday and had a good turnout. They solidified a date- November 20th- to talk and have a discussion about diversity. They also got a chance to contact someone regarding problem about faculty minority problem and the disparity it causes in requested mentorships who shared with the committee Cornell’s plan to address the problem. They are waiting on confirmed data.

They also created a Facebook page- Cornell University and International Student Resource. It is a page where all international graduate students can share resources such as initiatives and current events.

He shared information about an ISSO Orientation. The committee will partner with them on diversity issues.

IV. Presentations

1. Presentation of the Student Activity Fee Recommendation for 2014–2016 by the GPSA Appropriations Committee (W. Kreuser et. al.) (20 minutes)

The meeting transitioned to the presentation of the Student Activity Fee Recommendations for 2014–2016, presented by W. Kreuser’s team. M. Dumas explained the way this recommendation and voting works. The organizations asking for funding will come to the GPSA meeting next week and present a proposal as to why they should receive the amount of funding they requested. Discussion about the proposal and voting on it will continue from there and it will all culminate in a final resolution that the GPSA will vote on.

Ian Small presented a brief history of the GPSAF and the committee then outlines their recommendations that included the amount the organization request, amount they were allocated last year, recommendation by the GPSAF and the rationale behind the recommendation.

The presentation moved to a question-answer session.

2. Guests (30 minutes)

President David Skorton answered questions asked by graduate and professional students about issues such as the recession’s affect on the financial situation of the University, construction on campus, community and diversity issues, as well as how the University is addressing gender and sexual harassment. The President stressed that feedback from students is very important especially concerning diversity initiatives and gender and sexual harassment issues. He promised his support for greater funding for the University as a whole after expressing concern for funding. President Skorton said he would gladly answer more questions from the GPSA through email.

V. New Business

1. Election of Voting Members (15 minutes)

M. Dumas explained that Chelsea Morris, Dana Westgren, and Maggie Zou will not be able to serve as part of the GPSA. When a seat is vacant in the middle of the year, it is available as an at-large seat. Elections for each seat will be held separately and they are open to both field representatives and voting members. If an individual loses in the first election, he/she can run for the second election. The floor was then opened to nominations.

The individuals nominated were William Nicholson, Siddhartha Sinha, Franziska Doerflinger, Claire Zoellner, Ian Small, Kenneth Yancey, and Kristie Schlauraff. Each candidate then gave a small speech to tell the GPSA about themselves, why they would like to be elected, and how they would serve the GPSA.

Elizabeth Newbury explained that this election is a great opportunity to get more involved in the GPSA and the main responsibilities would be to regularly attend meetings and vote on resolutions.

There was a motion to carry out the three elections simultaneously in interest of time. The motion was seconded and approved. A secret ballot was carried out where each voting member and field representative chose three different nominees.

M. Dumas announced the winners of the elections- Franziska Doerflinger, Ian Small, and Siddhartha Sinha. The new At-Large members were welcomed.

VI. Open Forum, (1 minute)

E. Newbury proposed the motion to officially welcome and vote in the new communications chairs, Geary Choe and Alana Staiti, who will be serving as co-chairs. Nominations for the new chairs were accepted and the voting members voted. A vote was carried out and Alana Staiti and Geary Choe were elected. The co-chairs were welcomed.

N. Baran shared that she will be presenting on attending the Ivy Summit soon and if any GPSA members have questions or discussion points they would like her to bring up at the Summit, they can email her.

C. Carter reminded everyone of the upcoming 3rd Annual Latino Renaissance Ball that will be Great Gatsby themed this year. Asmaa M’nebhi mentioned her problem with being told that cannot send out relevant events out to her field.

M. Dumas reminded the GPSA that they would be meeting next Monday to review the proposals of the organizations requesting byline funding. She also announced that they were heading over to the Big Red Barn and invited all the members of the GPSA to join them.

M. Dumas adjourned the meeting at 7:15pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Aastha Wadhwa